Construction winding down, Anticipation winding up!
Well, if the looks of the outside are any indication, the inside should be coming along as well. Today, it looks like they're looking to complete the back facade of the building - and onlookers report that the glass of the front facade is going in as well.
As construction nears what looks like the final stages, the mood at TSP is one of anxiety and anticipation: What will happen when the doors open? Will we get no more walk-in service customers? Will we get a boat-load of referrals from the Apple Store business consultants looking for a Mac professional services firm? Will the Genius Bar help us rent more laptops to people that have their machines in for service? Will this city block become "Apple Central" for Boston and New England?
Probably a little bit of everything.
TSP has been working on a two-year strategy to position ourselves as the perfect complement to a flagship Apple Store: a Mac-only professional services shop with hardware service, onsite, and remote support capabilities. And it looks like we're just weeks away from seeing if that strategy will work. That work has included some fundamental changes to our business and making some bets on where we think the Apple Store will take us - so while the future of our business probably doesn't depend on this store, it's highly swayed by its existence.
Here's just a peek at some of our new services, hopefully they will help Apple succeed not just with their Apple Store, but with getting Macs into brownstones and businesses all over Boston:
- Our Managed Macs managed services suite to support pro and business Mac users for a flat monthly charge
- Increased staffing of our onsite consultants, who are pros at Leopard Server and large deployments
- Increased focus on Data Recovery and Customer Backup services
- Hard drive upgrades for older Laptops and Desktops
- Beefing up our Mac-Friendly Hosting Services, perfect for small to medium-sized Mac businesses, and running on Xserves!
- Providing Offsite Backups for Mac Servers
- A larger Rental Pool of laptops for Apple Store repair customers
- And much much more...
Tell us what you think! Will we succeed or fail? Should we pack up and get out of Dodge, or brace for the massive influx of customers? Time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Apple doesn't keep us bored!
As construction nears what looks like the final stages, the mood at TSP is one of anxiety and anticipation: What will happen when the doors open? Will we get no more walk-in service customers? Will we get a boat-load of referrals from the Apple Store business consultants looking for a Mac professional services firm? Will the Genius Bar help us rent more laptops to people that have their machines in for service? Will this city block become "Apple Central" for Boston and New England?
Probably a little bit of everything.
TSP has been working on a two-year strategy to position ourselves as the perfect complement to a flagship Apple Store: a Mac-only professional services shop with hardware service, onsite, and remote support capabilities. And it looks like we're just weeks away from seeing if that strategy will work. That work has included some fundamental changes to our business and making some bets on where we think the Apple Store will take us - so while the future of our business probably doesn't depend on this store, it's highly swayed by its existence.
Here's just a peek at some of our new services, hopefully they will help Apple succeed not just with their Apple Store, but with getting Macs into brownstones and businesses all over Boston:
- Our Managed Macs managed services suite to support pro and business Mac users for a flat monthly charge
- Increased staffing of our onsite consultants, who are pros at Leopard Server and large deployments
- Increased focus on Data Recovery and Customer Backup services
- Hard drive upgrades for older Laptops and Desktops
- Beefing up our Mac-Friendly Hosting Services, perfect for small to medium-sized Mac businesses, and running on Xserves!
- Providing Offsite Backups for Mac Servers
- A larger Rental Pool of laptops for Apple Store repair customers
- And much much more...
Tell us what you think! Will we succeed or fail? Should we pack up and get out of Dodge, or brace for the massive influx of customers? Time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Apple doesn't keep us bored!
Labels: apple store boston, managed services, tech superpowers
posted by Tech Superpowers at
6:12 AM
5 Comments:
Glad to hear that you've been thinking about this so carefully, and for so long. Also glad to hear that you're looking to complement them, rather than try to compete directly with them. I, for one, hope you guys are around for a good, long while.
I think an idea for a service you could offer is hard drive upgrades and RAM boosts. Lets face it Apples upgrades are over priced. Most people can't upgrade themselves so what better way of making some business than by upgrading peoples spec's while they wait. It's easy peasy on a mac notebook anyway.
Good luck, i will be visiting the new store from the UK in July-August time when i'm in Boston.
Great site !
I'll keep coming straight to you guys whenever I need service on my Macs. Your cyber cafe business may take a hit.
The level of service I get from you guys can't be matched by anything Apple can. I hope other people realize that and skip the Genius Bar line and come straight to you.
David is right and it sounds like you are doing it. Focus on the stuff that Apple doesn't do well. They don't want to be doing memory and hard drive upgrades so they price them too high.
If I could walk around the block and you put a nice big SSD drive into my MacBook Air when they become reasonably priced I'll be at the door.
I am a heavy Macintosh using scientific lab at Harvard Medical School. I didn't know you existed until the Apple store started being built. This is a good thing. Repair, rentals and guru advice and deployment of non Apple blessed answers and you'll do great.
I still think you should be roller skating up and down the long line at the door handing out T-shirts and ball caps. The T-Shirt can have directions to your subterranean digs.
I wanted to email this to you guys, but I couldn't find out how, plus it's 3:20am. I just took this picture of the store as I drove by it today. I drive by it every day, so it's been great to see the progress!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/2439815425_dfb6737df2_b.jpg
Taken with my iPhone. I can take more pictures as I go by each day, if I see something different, if anyone wants me to :)
- Angelo
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